55 Killed in Fighting Northeast of Yemen’s Capital of Sanaa

Intense fighting erupted Saturday in the Nihm District of Yemen, roughly 30 miles northeast of the capital city of Sanaa, between Saudi-backed fighters and the Shi’ite Houthi movement that controls the capital.

Fighting in this area east of Saana was pretty much inevitable, as the Saudi-backed forces loyal to the former Hadi government have been parked at the hills east of the capital for months on end, massed but unable to make serious advances because of the terrain and intense resistance they’re facing from the Houthis.

The Saudis have long presented their proximity to Sanaa as a sign they are on the verge of making a major breakthrough, though it’s been so long since they’ve been making progress on the ground everyone has conceded it to be in a stalemate. This weekend’s fighting, with heavy casualties and no sign of significant ground changing hands, reflects that stalemate.